1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to a biodegradable separable fastener of the hook-and-loop type, male-and-female type, hook-to-hook type or other type (hereinafter referred to generally as "separable fastener") and a method for the production thereof and more particularly to a biodegradable separable fastener which can be appropriately used as a fastening means for disposable products.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
In recent years, the problem of disposal of plastics waste has come to attract attention from the viewpoint of conservation of the earth's environment and the demand for the development of a technology for waste disposal has been gaining in enthusiasm. As one of the targets of the development, the biodegradable plastics to be incorporated in the circulation of matter in the natural world have been arresting attention.
The biodegradable resinous materials which are disintegrated on exposure to the microbial action in soil or in water are known in various kinds such as (a) the microbial fermentative production type, (b) starch alloy type, (c) chemical synthesis type, and (d) polylactic acid type. The development of these biodegradable resinous materials for use in such containers as bottles, cups, and trays besides wrapping films and bags is now under way.
No case of applying a biodegradable resin to the separable fastener which is the object of the present invention, however, has been known to the art.
Generally, the separable fastener requires such durability as withstands repeated use. The products of the kind necessitating the separable fastener generally are not intended as disposable articles. The separable fasteners marketed heretofore, therefore, have been invariably manufactured with a general-purpose resinous material.